Saratoga Sensory

Have you ever worked with a child who loved building with Legos, but could never seem to build anything on their own? Some children only build from sets, others will build the same familiar object or scene over and over again. Praxis is a complex process that involves three steps: ideation, motor planning, and execution. Ideation represents the creative thought that formulated an idea of what to build, motor planning represents the brain’s ability to understand what sequence ...of movements needs to be performed to create the idea, and execution relates to the ability of child’s body to perform the sequence of movements. Praxis is often used interchangeably with the term motor planning, but motor planning is only one part of a highly complex process. Giving a child a random assortment of Legos and asking them to build something can help to find where in this process they are struggling. Are they able to think of an object that they can build using the pieces? Do they quickly dig through to find certain pieces, or do they seem puzzled? This could demonstrate difficulty with the ideation phase. If they can find the pieces readily, can they build a structure in one simple try? Or do they repeatedly put together and take apart pieces in the process? This could help you figure out that the problem may be with motor planning. As you watch them manipulate the Legos, do they struggle with coordination, strength, or endurance? If so, their praxis difficulty could be related to execution. Determining what part in the process is the most difficult for a child will help you create the most appropriate and effective treatment. Vestibular therapy has been shown to improve motor planning in children with ADHD. Activating multiple senses assists in development of each sense. By pairing a balance board with this activity, a child who struggles with motor planning was able to create an aquarium, an ice cream machine, a lounge chair, and a tiki torch quickly and efficiently. What is your biggest question about praxis? What would you love to know more about? Feel free to comment below! See more

Mask Hack Sensory-friendly mask hack! Finally found a solution that works for my daughter. She hates her hair up in bands but it gets in the way of looping the mask over her ears, constantly readjusts her mask because it is touching her eyes, and already has irritation behind her ears from occasional mask wearing. We opted for disposable masks for both kids, at least to start out, so they can be changed as much as necessary at school and we don’t have to worry about wash...ing. A headband with two buttons sewn on low did the trick! It pulls the mask down under her eyes, avoids her ears completely, and the mask still makes full contact with her face. Finally found a fix! . #backtoschool #covid19 #covidlearning #covidschooling #sensoryintegration #sensorylearning #occupationaltherapy #sensoryprocessingdisorder #sensory #adhd #autism #finemotor #finemotorskills #tactile #tactiledefensiveness #covid_19 #teletherapy #telehealth #telemedicine

Keeping me company during my teletherapy sessions this morning! #teletherapy #teletherapyot #covid19

I have been absolutely loving these scavenger hunts from @primaryplayground. My own kids had a blast with the outdoor hunts, I have used them all week in teletherapy, and I set up the indoor scavenger hunt as a reading activity for my kindergartener this morning. Kept her happy and busy for 30 minutes! I can’t wait to try out the new Easter scavenger hunt, saving that for when I need a break this weekend . . . .... #sensoryplay #sensoryintegration #sensorylearning #occupationaltherapy #sensoryprocessingdisorder #sensory #finemotor #finemotorskills #executivefunctioning #proprioception #tactile #homeschool #covid_19 #teletherapy #telehealth #telemedicine

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Want to determine muscle tone? Check for bat wings . . . .... #sensoryplay #sensoryintegration #sensorylearning #occupationaltherapy #sensoryprocessingdisorder #sensory #sensorybin #sensorytoys #finemotor #finemotorskills #proprioception #tactile #sensoryroom #sensorygym #covid_19 #teletherapy #telehealth #telemedicine #finemotorskills #lowmuscletone #lowtone

Minute To Win It, teletherapy style! Had lots of fun working on motor planning using these simple household objects. Played Suck It Up (participants had to use a straw to separate paper squares by color), Bottle Blow (participants had to blow small crumpled paper squares into an empty bottle), Coin Stack (participants had to use tweezers to stack a tower of coins when the coins were spread flat on the surface), and Face Cookie (participants had to place a cookie on their fore...head and get it to their mouth without using their hands). So much fun for everyone! Any other minute to win it ideas out there using basic household items? . . . . #sensoryplay #sensoryintegration #sensorylearning #occupationaltherapy #sensoryprocessingdisorder #sensory #sensorybin #sensorytoys #finemotor #finemotorskills #proprioception #tactile #covid_19 #teletherapy #telehealth #telemedicine #tactile #proprioception #vestibular #reflexintegration #motorplanning

Screen Time Does your child have difficulty ending screen time? Do they display challenging behaviors, moodiness, or withdraw from family activities after playing video games? Are you struggling to reach a balance or figure out exactly how much screen time is too much? Has the use of screens in virtual learning made this more pronounced? Do you wonder why screens are so problematic for your child but not other children? Screens provide an extremely high level of visual... input, especially when they involve fast-paced or quickly moving images. High resolution graphics and content allows for clear, crisp images, but also provides the brain with more information to process. I remember the first time I saw a picture printed from a digital camera. Every part of the image was in focus with crystal clear edges and vibrant colors. It was so overstimulating that I had to look away. As with most individuals, my sensory system quickly learned to process, integrate, and filter this visual information, so it was no longer an issue. Some children do not have this ability. Screens provide an extraordinarily high level of input for their sensory systems, sometimes too much. It can become overstimulating, which can result in a sudden onset of behaviors during screen time, including attempts to break the screen or device. On the other hand, children whose systems seek this high level of input can display difficulty transitioning away from screens, or may demonstrate behavioral extremes when screen time is ended. Prepping for transitions and time limits can help some children, but what happens when that is not enough? How can you pull your child back to reality when they have been sucked into endless YouTube videos? Should you stop your child from playing Fortnite because you know a meltdown will occur as soon as their play time is over, even though it is one of their only ways to engage with their friends? What can you do to ensure that your child can engage with screens now, when their use is necessary for so many children, without enduring screaming and hitting afterward? Check the comments below for suggestions to help your child process input from screens.

Not all learning needs to be done at a table. Activate multiple sensory systems during academics and strengthen multiple neural connections. Make learning meaningful through play-based methods to acquire skills more quickly. Sight words + letter tiles from a couple board games + full body movement on the floor = 15 new sight words quickly memorized. . . . .... #sensoryplay #sensoryintegration #sensorylearning #occupationaltherapy #sensoryprocessingdisorder #sensory #sensorybin #sensorytoys #finemotor #finemotorskills #proprioception #tactile #visualperception #homeschool #covid_19 #teletherapy #telehealth #telemedicine #flexibleseating #kindergarten #sightwords

Struggling to find teletherapy activities that use materials kids have at home? One of my favorite activities has always been to have a child rip up a piece of colored paper and decide what shape they want to glue it into. Nearly all kids have some sort of colored paper at home, and if they don’t white paper works just as well if it is quickly colored beforehand. Most kids will have glue also, and with a screen share of an easy outline, can draw the animal with or without hel...p from parents. I love this activity for addressing fine motor strength, grasping skills, and bilateral coordination development. Great for kids in almost any age group! . . . . #sensoryplay #sensoryintegration #sensorylearning #occupationaltherapy #sensoryprocessingdisorder #sensory #sensorybin #sensorytoys #finemotor #finemotorskills #proprioception #tactile #sensoryroom #covid_19 #teletherapy #telehealth #telemedicine